Wheatfield in 'very good shape' financially

by jmaloni

Thu, Apr 11th 2013 12:15 pm

by
Susan Mikula Campbell

Wheatfield
is now $2.228 million "in the black," compared to the deficit of
three years ago.

"Frankly,
we're in very good shape," Supervisor Bob Cliffe said at Monday's
Town Board meeting, noting that the town's annual financial report
update was filed with the state comptroller's office on March 28.
The report summarizes the town's financial status as of Dec. 31,
2012.

Of
the town's eight operating budgets, only one, fire protection
districts, is still a little bit in the red at $67,606, Cliffe said.
Also, long-term debt, originally at $15.6 million, has been reduced
to $11.6 million.

Cliffe
credited the work of Ed Mongold, town budget director, as the primary
reason for the healthy unreserved, unappropriated fund balance.
He also praised town department heads for not spending money unless
necessary.

Cliffe
noted that when he took office the town was $663,000 in the red,
including funds designated to reduce taxes "that we didn't have."

Mongold
said in his report that revenues have exceeded expenses for the third
year in a row due to a slight increase in sales tax revenues, a
slight increase in water and sewer revenues due to the hot dry
summer, and the careful monitoring of expenditures with the purchase
order system implemented two years ago.

He
is recommending that water rates be increased for 2013 to provide
needed cash for the water district fund. Although this fund had a
total fund balance of $156,414 at the end of 2012, the cash balance
was only $5,783. The fund balance primarily represents outstanding
water bills from which the cash will not be collected by the county
until 2013.

In
other matters:

•The
board approved spending $5,000 again this year for special Niagara
County Sheriff's ATV patrols. Councilman Larry Helwig noted that
farmers complain about ATVs because they destroy crops and residents
complain about the noise. He asked that the town prosecutor be
notified that the Town Board wants fines for these offenders.

•The
board approved the annual agreement with Highway Superintendent Art
Kroening for this season's road repairs and improvements, expected
to cost $400,000. These include: a quarter-mile of overlay for
Jennifer Court leading to Lancelot Drive; 1.5 miles of milling and
overlay for Hoover Road and Brent Drive to Lockport Road; a half-mile
of overlay for Katherine Drive from Walmore Road to Rebecca Drive; a
half-mile of overlay for Rebecca Drive from Jagow Road to Lancelot
Drive; a half-mile of overlay for Washington Street from Schultz
Street to Hunt Street; a quarter-mile of overlay for Hunt Street from
Niagara Road to Stoelting Street; a quarter-mile of overlay for Wurl
Street from Hunt Street to Niagara Road; a half-mile of milling and
overlay from Witmer Road from Niagara Falls Boulevard to Ferchen
Street; and various minor road repairs. The board also is discussing
allocating funds for the repair of Craig Drive and whether the work
can be done this year or saved for next year.

•Kroening
also reminded residents that the Highway Department will be back to
scheduling brush pickup next week and to "put the butt ends facing
out to the road."

•Assessor
Brigette Grawe alerted residents that the state budget includes a
proposal that would require all basic STAR recipients to register
with the state Tax Department to receive or continue receiving the
STAR exemption. Currently, there is no way to check whether somebody
is filing on a second residence in another municipality, she said.
The basic STAR is only for the tax filer's primary residence.

She
said the program will apply to 2014 exemptions, and taxpayers will be
notified by mail when it is time to register.

Senior
citizens who receive enhanced STAR deductions will continue to
register yearly through the town assessor's office, she said.

•Recreation
Director Ed Sturgeon reported that the Easter break camp at the Youth
Center last week was a sellout success and that some of the kids
"wanted to know if they could come back this week."